Venetian blind



G. F. BRENT VENETIAN BLIND Filed Sep.l 28, 1954 INVENTOR g, aresupported by flexible hangers.

Patented Aug. 20, 1935 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLINDGeorge F. Brent, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application september 2s, 1934, serialNo. 145,859

3 Claims.

4 My invention relates to window blinds o r shades of the Venetian type.-f

A Venetian blind, characteristically, comprises a vertically disposedseries of thin slats which The slats of the structure are angularlyadjustable; they may be adjusted to lie in spaced-apart horizontalplanes, and, alternately, they may be tilted into positions in which thesuccessive slats overlap to provide a closed screen. Between these twoextreme positions of adjustment, the slats may be adjusted to anydesired angularity, and the spaces between the slats are greater orless, according to the degree of the adjustment. In consequence, the airand light-admitting spaces between the slats may be regulated asdesired.`

Additionally, the blind structure includes means for drawing the slatsvertically together, whereby. they may be nestedat the top of the windowor other opening in which the blind is installed.

A Venetian blind oifers many advantages over the usual cloth windowshade, and, while a Venetian blind is the more costly to install, theobjection to its use is not initial cost. The problem is found inmaintenancethe cost and diiculties encountered in maintaining the blindin t condition are relatively great. .In service the slats of a Venetianblind become coated with dust and dirt, and from time to time requirecleansing. The' cleansing process, as practiced hitherto, involves thecomplete dismantling of the blind structure, and the independentcleansing of the slats in a suitable scouring solution. Manifestly, thisis a relatively laborious and expensive procedure. To the furtherannoyance of the user it has been found that, after two or three of suchcleansings, the enamel, or other finishing material with which( theslats are coated, cracks and spalls, thus destroying the appearance ofthe blind.

The object of my invention is to overcome these objections, and torender the use of Venetian blinds more practical. I aim to provide ablind of a Venetian type in which the slats are each covered with aninexpensive jacket, and to provide such organization of the jacketedslats that the jackets, becoming soiled in service, may

be readily removed and replaced without taking the blind structure fromthe window, or without requiring that the structure be dismantled.

' In the accompanying drawing, Fig. I is a. View in front elevation of aVenetian blind embodying the invention; Fig. II is a view to largerscale, showing the structure on the plane II--II of Fig. I; andFig. IIIis an isometric view of a slat,

' of the cord. Each cord `removed from the blind structure and in courseof receiving a protecting jacket. Referring to the drawing, thereference numeral 2 indicates a window easement in which a w Venetainblind -is installed. 'I'he vertical series 5 of slats 3 of the structureare supported by means of two` spaced-apart flexible supports l. Eachsupport 4 comprises a pair of ilexible bands 4a, 4b (Fig. II), securedat their upper ends to a rocker bar 5,.and extending downward there- 10from in parallelism, and secured at their lower ends to a relativelyheavy cross bar 6. The bands 4a, 4b are ordinarily fabric tapes, and atequal intervals of their common extent, the bandscarry cross straps 1,which likewise may u comprise fabric tape, tacked by stitching to thebands 4a., 4b.. The slats 3, spanning the two supports li (Fig. I), aresupported near their opposite ends by the cross straps 1 (Fig. II)embodied in such supports, and, save as hereinafter 2,0 explained, theslats lie freely upon the cross straps 1.' y

By means of a w rm-gear mechanism 8, subject to a pulley 8a whoserotation is effected by a. pull cord 9, the rocker bar 5 may be tiltedin 25 well-known manner to one side or the other,

whereby, the bands la are moved vertically upis detachably secured atits lower end to the cross bar vi5, say by means of a knot Illa tied inthe end 40 I0 is threaded through the orifices or passages ii which areprovided in the slats; the orifices are relatively large, andadvantageously are of ovate shape (Fig. III) so that the contact ofcords i0 with the edges of the orifices does not interfere with theangular adjustment of the slats. The cords I0 in such organizationafford means for holding the slats in lateral alignment as viewed inFig. 1. Additionally, the cords I0 provide the above-mentioned. 50 meansfor drawing the slats togethervertically, the cords being trained oversuitable pulleys (not shown) in a head bar I2 and continued downward ina pull-cord Ilia. By drawing the pullcord Illa downward, the 'cords I0are elevated in .55

40 `on the slats.

unison, raising the cross bar 6 against the bottom of the lowermost slat3, and in such manner progressively bringing the slats together oneafter another until all are nested at the top of the window frame 2.

In accordance with my invention each of the slats 3 is covered with aprotecting jacket 30. The jackets 30 are formed of sheet material, suchas tough thin paper, which may be readily appliedV l to the slats.

15 and, advantageously, the paper is opaque, or of dull finish, or is soprocessed or treated that it will not glare, or reflect light inobjectionable manner. I contemplate that the paper (the cloth, or othersuitable material of which the 20 jackets 30 may be made) mayconveniently be fashioned in the form of an open tube, as shown in Fig.III; the tube is a little larger in cross section that the slats, sothat it may be readilyslipped over a slat, and removed therefrom. Butthe ,2? diil'erence in size is not so great as to produce sags orwrinkles in the tube upon the slat--the tubular jacket snugly andsmoothly engages the slat. The tube 30 includes two pairs I3, I3 ofopposed oriflces or passages so located as to register 3Q,-. above andbelow with the orifices II in the slat upon which it is fitted.Alternately, I contemplate forming the tube plain, and providing theoritlces I3, I3 after assembly.

.'Ihus, each slat 3 of the blind lies within an in- 3@` dependent,readily Ainterchangeable jacket 30; the

mjackets 30 do not interfere with the flexible supports I-or theadjusting cords III, and manifestly the cords I0 serve to prevent thejackets from sliding longitudinally from positions of adjustment When inservice the slats become dirty, the knots IIIa at the bottom of thecords I0 are united, and the cords are withdrawn from the slats 3 whilethe blind structure as a whole remains in the window casement. Withoutfurther 45 ado the slats 3 are slidl one at a time, from their positionsof rest upon straps 1, and the soiled jackets are quickly removed andreplaced with new ones. Then the cords I0 are rethreaded through thereassembled slats, and again knotted below the cross bar 6. The job isquickly done.

It will be understood, therefore, that, at the cost of a few cents andlittle effort, the Venetian blind may be cleansed, and given theappearance of 'a new blind.l The field of the artist is widened,inasmuch as the jackets of the blind may be changed from time to time,and the color scheme altered, to harmonize with changes in draperies andother interior decorations of a room.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a blind structure including a vertical series of slats supportedin spaced-apart, horizontally extending relation, a passage formed inthe body of each slat, and a flexible` Slat-adjusting cord extendingthrough the passages in the slats, together with means'for effecting thecommon angular adjustment of the slats; the combination of relativelyinexpensive, independently applicable and removable jackets severallycovering said slats, said jackets comprising deciduouselementsprotecting the otherwise normally effective surrfaces of theslats against soiling, each of said jackets including two passages, oneopening above and the other below the passage in the slat within suchjacket and admitting of free passage therethrough of said adjustingcord.

2. The structure of the next preceding claim, in which said adjustingcord serves as means for staying said deciduous jackets in properlongitudinal position upon said slats, and in which, by untlireadingsaid cord from said passages, said jackets may be removed lwithoutdismantling the blind structure, substantially as described.

3. In a blind structure including a plurality of slats, the combinationof relatively inexpensive, independently applicable and'removablejackets severally covering said slats and providing deciduous elementsprotecting the otherwise normally effective surfaces of the slatsagainst soiling.

GEORGE F. BRENT.

